Covert Love
by Ione-Sama
Summary: Annie Walker and August Anderson are more than CIA agents, Covert Operatives, partners; they're the best of friends and their relationship is closer than most. But is there more? Do they have the courage to dare? The courage to love?
1. Auggie's Absence

Auggie's Absence

Annie vigorously tapped her fingers on the desk. It had been three days since the op involving the notorious Natasha Petrovna, had been successfully closed. And no one had seen height nor hair of Auggie since then. Annie knew from the first moment it started, that it would bring back very painful memories for Auggie. His wounds were still unhealed and the sudden reunion with his old flame had no doubt brought up many conflicting emotions on his part. Annie knew her best friend was confident, tough, intelligent and capable of taking care of himself but… three days? This wasn't Auggie at all; something was wrong and waiting around in the DPD, checking her cell phone every five minutes for any calls or text messages, calling his house and leaving endless voicemails on his machine; it was driving her to near insanity. She crossed and uncrossed her legs, checking the wall clock then comparing it to her watch; 5PM. That was it. She bit her lip nervously, then shook her head. She was done with this waiting; whether Auggie liked it or not, she was going to his place straight from work to check on him. She didn't care if he wasn't up for company; his odd behavior was worrying her out of her mind and she _had _to make sure for herself that he was ok. Grabbing up her jacket from the back of her chair, she switched off her MAC computer screen, locked up her case files, turned out the lights and locked the door. On her way out, she passed by Stu's office and poking her head in she asked, "Hey Stu…has Auggie called you at all today?"

Stu looked up briefly. "No….he hasn't left any messages either…is everything ok?"

Pushing aside the unsettling feeling that everything was definitely _not, _she forced her expression to brighten. "Oh I'm sure it is, I was just wondering if you'd heard from him at all… I'm sure he's fine, just tired you know?"

Stu smiled and nodded but a slight glimmer in his eyes told Annie that he too was concerned about the well-being of his mentor. Annie laid a comforting hand on his shoulder and smiled encouragingly. "Have a great weekend, Stu, see you Monday!" and with that, Annie exited the DPD and CIA headquarters. Her black kitten heeled stilettos echoed on the asphalt parking lot as she headed towards her candy apple red Volkswagen. Pulling her keys from her jacket pocket, she fumbled with the lock when she was startled by a noise behind her. Jerking around suddenly, she gasped…then sighed in relief to see Jai's smiling eyes looking at her. "Hey Annie, jumpy much?"

She rolled her eyes, but laughed. "You know better than to sneak up on a covert operative without announcing yourself, Jai…I could have hurt you."

"Oh that's alright, I figured if you were startled to that point, I could probably handle you pretty well."

She rolled her eyes again and turned back to her car, unlocking the door.

"So you off to Allen's?"

"No not tonight, I've got some things at home I need to take care of."

"Wow, Annie…that's not like you to turn down a night at Allen's Tavern after a hard day's work…you feeling alright?"

She looked up at him. She knew Jai was subtly fishing for information as to why she was turning down a night at Allen's _with him. _Jai had been trying to take her out ever since they first met but he'd known her past in relationships and was careful not to be too direct…she figured though it was probably his more cunning skills as a coercive operative that influenced his subtle advances. Jai was a nice guy; intelligent, charming, handsome and fun. But there was something else about him that always made her hesitate even in the moments when she was on the brink of taking him up on his offer. She couldn't pinpoint it but with her natural keen intuitiveness and her previous experiences with men, Annie had learned to trust her instincts and stick to her defensive guns. Looking at Jai now, eyes sparkling and smiling down at her, she nodded inwardly as if reaffirming her instincts and just smiled back. "Thanks really but I do need to get home…"

"You sure there's not something else you're in a hurry to rush home to?…or maybe some_one _else?"

Annie's hand paused at the ignition. Her light brown eyes met Jai's and already she could sense the change in his demeanor. It was that stiff poised civility he emanated whenever Auggie was around; he was always edgy and curt…and when Annie was in the same room with them both, there was an icy edge of dominance and friction between the two of them. It always caused a sickening uncomfortable twist in the pit of her stomach; why couldn't Auggie and Jai just get along? "I'm worried about him, Jai…He hasn't been to work in three days, hasn't called, texted, won't answer his phone…nothing!"

"Annie, He's been in this job longer than you have; he's dealt with a lot of shit and beyond that, he's a man and a former Army special ops; he's fine…he deals with these things in his own way and I really think you should just leave him be and let him figure it out."

Annie shook her head; Jai may have worked with Auggie longer than she had but he didn't _know _Auggie…not like she did. "I know he's capable of taking care of himself but even Auggie needs someone to be there for him; everyone around here thinks that just because he's flawless at his job, cracks blind jokes all the time and puts off this constant charismatic bad-ass air that he's perfectly content and accepted his blindness. Auggie's an amazing, amazing person…one of the most amazing people I've ever known and the fact that he's blind never made me think less of him, especially since he deals with it so well…but that doesn't make me deny that he's still human; its tougher for him than any of us realizes and I'm not just gonna turn a blind eye…no pun intended…just because he always puts on a brave face and wants everyone to think he's ok… he's my best friend and I'm going to be there for him…whether he likes it or not and frankly, I don't care what you think, what Joan or Arthur thinks or what anyone else at the DPD thinks."

Jai eyed her levelly. "I don't deny that Auggie is the best at what he does…but I also don't deny that he's not the same as what he was…and quite frankly, ever since you came here, I think he's starting to depend on you too much…Annie, the guy needs to be able to stand on his own two feet, you've said it yourself he's always proving day in and day out how he can be the best of the best just like the rest of us…but you and Auggie are getting too close and it could compromise how you both do your jobs…that's not healthy for you, him and more importantly, it's not healthy for the rest of DPD and what we do. Our job is dangerous. Every day we take people's lives into our hands and put our own lives into people's hands…any slip, compromise or bias no matter how minute can jeopardize an entire mission…and people can end up killed."

Annie looked down…she knew that part of what Jai was saying was right but she also knew he wouldn't be so forceful if it wasn't for the fact that he was just plain jealous. He didn't want her and Auggie to be so close because he wanted his chance to get to her and she knew despite all the confident, boastful arrogance and charm that Jai put off, everyone knew as well as he did that Auggie was ten times the kick-ass agent that he was. He'd been in the field from the beginning where as Jai-from a privileged life and born into a wealthy family-started out behind the scenes, calling shots from behind a desk with every advantage that his wealthy heritage could offer. His life as an agent had begun in a cushy, easy environment. It was only in the last three years that Jai had started to get his hands dirty and do more field work and even though he was precise, methodical and damn good at what he did, it couldn't compare to Auggie…Jai was intimidated by Auggie's seniority in experience and his ability to adjust to his desk job and perform it just as flawlessly and passionately as he'd pursued his field work. This thought only made Annie smile for she couldn't help but feel smug pride at her best friend's ability to, even with his blindness, outshine, outshoot, outsmart and downright out-kick ass any and all the fancy-suit white-collar agents at the DPD. Auggie was without a doubt the best of the best. "Look, I appreciate your concern…even if it is fueled by your jealousy and intimidation of Auggie…"

"What? Ok I _never _said I was intimidated, this has nothing to do with how my skills as a covert operative compare with Auggie's…"

Annie snorted softly. "Well alright then, I believe you… so. I'm going to go check on Auggie and I will see you Monday…and take your tail out from between your legs, pathetic whipped puppy doesn't suit you…you don't have the eyes for it." She patted his cheek with a smug teasing expression tugging at the corners of her mouth. Turning, she slid back into the driver's seat, turned the key in the ignition and peeled out of the front gate, leaving a very pride and ego wounded Jai standing alone in the parking lot.


	2. Unpleasant Surprise

Unpleasant Surprise

Annie pulled up to the curb in front of Auggie's apartment. Turning the car off, she sat still momentarily, gathering herself. On the way here, she hadn't really contemplated that perhaps Auggie wasn't taking calls because he was seriously wanting to be left alone. Perhaps it was just as Jai had said; he wanted to figure this out and work through it on his own. She glanced hesitantly out the window towards the apartment, biting her lip nervously. But no, she knew she'd made the right decision in coming here. Besides, if the tables were reversed, she knew Auggie would do the same for her and even if she rejected him, he wouldn't back down. So shaking her head clear of the nervous tumble of thoughts, she exhaled, set her jaw firmly and exited the car. She walked purposefully to the front entrance and instead of buzzing Auggie's apartment as she usually did to let him know she was there, she took the key he'd given her for emergencies (because three days with absolutely no contact from her best friend was definitely an emergency) from her pocket, and let herself in. Once in the elevator, she took out her phone and decided that perhaps she should call him after all so he'd at least know she was coming, perchance he was indecent for company. It rang three times, just like before, then went to voicemail. "Hey, Auggie, it's Annie um…I know this is really last minute but I'm in the elevator on my way up to your apartment. I haven't heard from you in three days… so I just thought I'd stop by and see how you're doing..? Talk to you for a bit. Um yeah so I'll be up in a bit… see you soon."

The elevator reached the top and dinged as the doors slid open. Annie stepped out and walked the few short steps down the hall till she stood in front of Auggie's door. Her hand hesitated to knock…she couldn't decipher why she felt so nervous but she willed the anxious butterflies in her stomach to be still and then knocked one slow knock and two fast ones. She waited and heard a rustling noise of fabric. Maybe he'd been sleeping? Now she felt bad at the prospect of waking him. Just when she was about to turn and leave, the door cracked open and a pair of dark eyes framed by long dark brown hair met her.

Annie was stunned. She hadn't expected a woman to answer the door and a few seconds longer of studying her face, she was instantly disappointed to recognize the dark exotic features of Liza Hearn. Though Auggie had previously mentioned in passing that he and Liza were dating, Annie had somehow hoped that it was just a short passing fling and that like he'd said, he'd just get the information he was looking for, and end it. But either procuring information from Liza had proven more difficult than he'd expected…or the bitch had managed to get under his skin. The thought sickened Annie to her core and she had to take a small step back, shake

her head and clear her throat.

"Oh… I didn't expect…I came to check on Auggie?"

Liza looked Annie up and down, her eyes obviously scrutinizing and her slender eyebrows arched in an expression of arrogance that made Annie want to bitch-slap the sly smirk that was now inching its way into her lips. "Oh well…he's kind of indisposed right now, can I give him a message?"

Annie grit her teeth. The arrogance of this woman just seeped from her and Annie had a difficult time constraining her desire to tell her off. How could Auggie stand being with this woman! Even if it was for job related reasons; gathering valuable intel, she still couldn't see how he could stomach being in the same room with her. Just then the two were interrupted by a stirring noise that came from inside the apartment. "Liza…? What is it, who's at the door?"

"It's no one, Baby, just trying to sell something…"

_Baby? _the nerve of her calling …Annie's Auggie Baby? She about lost it right then.

"Wait…Annie?"

Annie smiled as she knew that her scent was a dead giveaway; Auggie got her every time. "Hey Auggie…I'm sorry I didn't mean to just show up like this, I…"

"No, its ok…com'on in!"

Annie's heart warmed as the familiar charming grin spread across her best friend's face. His eyes looked tired and she could tell by the few extra lines creasing his forehead that his three days had been hell. She felt a sadness tug at her heart as he reached out and took her elbow. He tugged her through the door and a very displeased Liza reluctantly closed the door behind them. "I'm really sorry for barging in like this, Aug… I just wanted to make sure you were ok…"

"I said he was fine…" a slightly irritated voice emanated from behind them.

"Oh, Annie… I'm sure you know Liza Hearn…Liza, this is Annie Walker, she's our recently acquired CIA operative, hired on at the DPD last year. She's been one of our best agents, excellent field operative, works ops like a pro…and she's really good at improvising and handling situations when things go south…which tends to happen more often than not." Auggie couldn't hold back a teasing grin and Annie laughed in affirmation, her cheeks flushing at the lavish boasting of her best friend on her behalf.

"Well, at least things never get boring at the DPD…although I've heard you've incurred some pretty expensive compensations as a result of your… vigorous pursuit in your job."

Auggie smiled, but Annie knew if he could see Liza's face, he'd know she'd meant it as an insult. She hated how Liza directly exploited Auggie's disability and used it to her advantage. She'd heard many horror stories about Liza Hearn and the problems she'd caused for the CIA and DPD over the years… she'd decided long before this that the woman was a conniving snake but now meeting her in person only cemented her previous deductions from before; this woman made her skin crawl.

"Well! I should probably be heading home… I have a business meeting with some of the CEO's tomorrow and I need to make sure I get some good beauty sleep."

Annie forced a smile but inwardly cringed at the woman's smug cheerfulness. She disappeared into Auggie's room only to emerge later wearing one of Auggie's button down shirts and a pair of very tight-fitting black dress slacks. Annie suppressed a groan and continued forcing pleasantness… then Liza past in front of her and placed a very obvious passionate kiss on Auggie's mouth. That was it. Annie's smile faded and she starred the woman down as Liza slowly pulled away and gave her a smug pointed look. "I'll call you tonight, Baby." And she was gone.


	3. A Past Farewell, A Future Begun

A Past Farewell, A Future Begun

As soon as the door closed, Annie turned and starred at Auggie, dumbfounded. Feeling the tenseness growing, Auggie broke the silence with a light-hearted, "Well! That was…interesting, wasn't it?"

Annie huffed and brushed past him. "Sure…plenty awkward, unnerving and appalling too would be good adjectives."

He sensed the irritation edging her voice and the growing anger in her step as she brushed past him; her Jo Malone perfume assaulting his senses full on. The material of her skirt rustled vigorously and the click of her heels sounded loud and harsh on his hard wood floors. "Aw, com'on Annie…Liza is technically on our side…besides, I think you two have a lot in common; you're both equally stubbourn and bull-headed, not intimidated easily if at all and

damn good at getting your way."

Annie gasped, turning on him. "You're gonna go off and compare me with _that_ woman?"

A mischievous smile played on Auggie's lips but his eyes softened and his voice was gentle. "I'm just saying you and Liza are both determined, confident and talented women…in your own ways. She's just more…sneaky than you are about it. More stealthy…"

"You mean more Conniving bitch."

Auggie's face sobered. "Now Annie…she is my girlfriend."

"You can't honestly tell me your sticking up for her? You know what she's done to the DPD, to Joan and Arthur? Auggie, that woman practically almost ended Joan's and Arthur's careers not to mention nearly destroying their marriage."

"I'm not making excuses for Liza's methods, Annie but she is like the rest of us in that she'll use whatever means necessary to reach her goal. She's out to complete a mission just like everyone else and will do anything and use anyone to get there."

Annie was silent for a moment. "And you're letting her use you…"

"It's a two way street, Annie, I'm letting her use me so that I can get to her and get what I need. I know that she's not going into this blind, she knows I'm using her just as much as she's using me; the key is to not let her know what exactly I'm using her for…she doesn't know what I'm after and that's the key to what makes a good persuasive covert operative. We can't just be good at stealing intel, blowing up the compound and shooting all the bad guys…we've gotta learn to be good at stealth gathering as well…keeping our opponents in the dark as to what we're looking for while at the same time drawing them out without them even realizing it. Before she knows it, she's gonna be giving me exactly what I need, telling me exactly what I need to hear…and she won't even know it."

"And if your wrong? If she has actually fallen for you? Then what."

Auggie fell silent. His sightless eyes turned in the direction of the window.

"Does it even matter to you that you could very well be using up this woman's emotions just to get what you want?"

Auggie grinned. "Aw Annie, how sweet of you to be looking out for Liza's well-being."

Annie rolled her eyes. "Ok yeah, I don't like her much but that doesn't mean that I don't know what it's like to be a woman in love and then before you realize it, you're dropped and left in the middle of nowhere with nothing and no one….all because 'the truth was too complicated.'"

Her pointed words, mirroring Ben Mercer's cryptic note he'd left her, stung Auggie. He never knew fully what went on those three weeks in Sri Lanka. Annie never talked about her past and what happened; all that he'd gathered from the few bits and pieces he'd heard about was that Ben Mercer had burned her…bad. And because of it, Annie was overly sensitive to any man who attempted to get close to her. She was naïve and had a longing to be loved and cared for but whenever it had gotten close to that point, he'd 'watched' from the sidelines as his best friend suffered disappointment after disappointment and all mainly resulted from her getting scared and backing out. It frighteningly reminded him of his own experiences. After the wretched break-up with Natasha, he'd never let himself get close to someone or them to him. He'd kept them just close enough to ease the ache temporarily and take the edge off the terrible loneliness and then he'd drop them. It was habitual now and he'd grown so used to it he'd never really given it a thought. But now as he listened to his best friend, heard the pain in her voice and practically felt the abandonment in her demeanor, it killed him on the inside to think how badly she must have been hurt. It made him angry to think of how anyone could know Annie Walker…his sweet, endearing, adorable, vulnerable, caring Annie walker and take her heart only to trample it under foot. He hated seeing her work so hard to protect herself from loving and being loved…even though he was guilty of the same vice, he wanted nothing more than to see her happy and loved. But he also had a problem. He hated to admit it and most times didn't, but Auggie was terribly jealous of any man that came within five feet of her. It didn't matter if they were a co-worker, family friend, Asset, or one of her sister Danielle's 'old friends' she'd tried over and over to set her up with; he didn't decipher categories…all he 'saw' was his vulnerable Annie in the midst of a sea of men who fell at her feet at the sight of her…but all of them had only one mission. No, he wouldn't stand for any kind of man who's head was constantly thinking with the other brain, get near his Annie. Ever since he'd met her, he'd made it his personal life-long mission to protect her, care for her and keep her safe. He reasoned with himself that he was only doing it out of friendship…but as the days, weeks and months went by, Annie wiggled her way just a bit more into his icy heart and soon, the distinctly drawn boundary between friendship and love-interest had become so blurred, Auggie couldn't see it any longer…and even now as Annie fumed about his apartment, infuriated with his present 'dating-to-gain-ship' with Liza Hearn, he couldn't stop himself from thinking that her defensiveness at his being anywhere near Liza, was incredibly sexy and he couldn't help but wonder if maybe she was a little jealous.

Annie paused momentarily before him, pinching the bridge of her nose with her index finger and thumb, heaved a heavy sigh. "Ok look, whatever is going on with you and this woman is really none of my business… but I haven't seen you or heard from you in _three days, _Auggie. Nothing. I've called your cell, you don't answer; texted you, you never respond. I've left endless voicemails on your machine which, I'm sure by the way have made me look like a completely desperate sick-with-worry woman who spends night after night worrying about you and hoping that you're ok, only to spend the next day desperately trying to get a hold of you, obsessing when all she wants is just a simple text or phone call saying 'I'm ok.'"

Auggie was silent for a long moment. Although he was blind and couldn't see Annie's face, he had memories of what people's faces looked like when they were like this. Annie's face was doubtlessly creased with worry lines on her forehead, her lips curved in a defeated line…and those doubtlessly beautiful brown eyes, pools of sadness…possibly even gleaming with unshed tears…which were portrayed through her voice. He could hear the anguish and defeat in her tone…his heart ached that he'd been causing her so much worry, all because he was feeling sorry for himself and having a pity party over a lost flame. Auggie mentally punched himself for allowing his emotions to control him so fully, that he'd become selfish and completely oblivious to his best friend and her needs. All she'd ever done was be there for him; she'd always wanted to be and he'd pushed her away and kept her from the thing that she wanted most…and it was so simple; just to know that he was ok. Without another word, Auggie reached out his arm and pulled Annie into his chest. Resting his chin on top of her head, he sighed. "I'm sorry, Annie. I'm sorry I just…I don't know where my head's been the last three days, I've been so worked up about this whole stupid thing with Natasha I never even thought you'd…"

"Care?"

"…I never even thought that involving you with how I felt would be something you'd want. I don't know its been so long and most everything that happened with Natasha was my fault I honestly thought that maybe you'd see … a parallel of me with Ben and you'd think…"

Before he could finish, Annie's head snapped up sharply. Her lips parted slightly as a little gasp escaped. Auggie could feel her eyes on him and the tense silence told him that she hadn't seen what he'd said coming and that it surprised her, taking her completely off guard. He half-expected her to burst out in renewed anger affirming his conclusions. But it was his turn to be taken off guard when he felt Annie's lips brush against his cheek softly, close to the corner of his mouth. Her hand caressed his cheek as she spoke softly but firmly. "Auggie…I could never. Ever take you and Ben and put you in the same comparison. You both are _so different!_ Ben's proven on more than one occasion that he's out to accomplish his mission and that that's all he cares about. He'll use and step on whomever he can to get there…you…you care for people so much, Auggie. I've seen you. I know how much you want to be out in the field and I've seen your frustration as day after day you're stuck behind your desk but you are _amazing _at what you do. You give all you've got and more for those agents. You kick ass at your job and you care so much for the people you work for that you will do whatever is within your power to make sure they're safe and you get them home. I've seen you…hell, you've almost lost your job more than once because of me! But you don't stop. You don't quit…you make the most of where you're at and even though its not your dream you kick ass at it. You are one hell of CIA operative, a damn good agent and one of the most amazing people I know, August Anderson. I hope you know that."

Annie's words took Auggie's breath away. He'd always known that he was good at what he did but no one had ever been so open and honest with him as this woman in front of him. She went beyond what he was as an agent…Annie saw Auggie for who he really was as a person, and as a man. She'd never looked at him as anything less, from the moment he'd known her, he knew this woman was amazing. But hearing her now as she opened up just a little of her heart to him, he felt so unworthy of the admiration and high esteem for which she held in him and once again, he felt the very essence of her chisel away at the hardness of his heart. His eyes moistened with tears and he hugged her tightly to him, hoping she didn't see. "Annie Walker, you are an amazing, amazing woman." He breathed huskily, her Jo Malone perfume assaulted his nose and he breathed in deeply.

Annie couldn't help but smile, nestling her face into the curve of his neck, she smelled his musky, Auggie scent. "I'm not that amazing, just good at what I do; persuading assets is part of my job." At this, she giggled and looking up, her lips curved up in the most adoring smile; Auggie could feel the warmth of it. "And you, August Anderson are most definitely the most important, vital asset to the DPD and CIA. They need you… and so do I."

"Walker, you're well on your way to making this CIA techie submit himself into doing whatever you want." His face lit up with that all-too-familiar-charming grin and Annie laughed. "Oh am I now! Well then I'll have to keep this up." She linked her arm with his, leaning her head on his shoulder. "See how much I can get you to do for me…then maybe I'll reward you."

Her smile was teasing and Auggie could hear it in her voice. "Well then, I'll definitely be at your beck and call, Ms. Walker…and more than willing to receive my 'payment' on the day of reckoning."

The two laughed together good naturedly and all the pain and hurt that remained from the past, melted from Auggie's heart and was replaced with peace. He'd truly loved Natasha but on that afternoon, with the help of the most amazing woman he'd ever known, arm-in-arm with him, looking up at him and smiling, he was finally able to say goodbye; to Natasha and the love they'd shared as well as to his past. It was time for him to look forward to his future, and as long as Annie Walker was by his side, somehow he knew, everything would be ok and life as he knew it would be changed….forever.


	4. Moving On

Moving On

Monday morning, Annie awoke and an instant groan pressed from her lips as she remembered the weekend was over and it was time to return to work. She rolled over on her back and glanced the tiny alarm clock as it buzzed on her nightstand. Reaching over sleepily, she slapped the off button, groaning a second time. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes then stared aimlessly at the ceiling. She really did love her job but some days, wasting the entire day in bed was much more appealing. She smiled to herself then glancing once again at the clock, she looked past it to the small picture frame of Sri Lanka beach… her eyes drifted to the shell bracelet that draped the one corner. Pushing herself up on one elbow she reached over and took the small bracelet in her hand. She fingered the smooth surface of the shells, lacing her fingers through the leather string that held the shells together. She sighed heavily. Like Auggie, she was holding onto the memory of something of the past that was long since gone. She knew deep down in her heart that Ben was never coming back. A guy who could romance a girl so convincingly and then just leave her stranded in the middle of nowhere that easily, was clearly someone who really didn't give a shit. She shook her head, pulled open the tiny drawer of the nightstand and carelessly tossed in the bracelet, slamming the drawer shut firmly. She was done living in the past; it was time to start a new life; she had a brighter future to look forward to. A future that Ben Mercer would no longer have control over her heart and emotions. She was done with the manipulative bastard. She smiled as a heavy weight she'd been dragging around, fell from her shoulders. She felt a new lightness of heart and she smiled brighter than ever. Suddenly, she had renewed energy and virtually leapt out of bed. She showered briskly, blow dried and styled her hair, applied a light coating of make-up (she was particularly selective in the colors she chose for today; she wanted something subtle but with a bang at the same time), then appraised her closet wardrobe. She wasn't sure what suit to wear for today. She was caught between a slacks and blazer duo or skirt and blazer. Just then, her eyes caught sight of a stunning Gucci red dress tucked away towards the back of her closet. Pulling it out, she surveyed it on the hanger. It was a slightly muted red, knee length with an open back. A warm smile spread across Annie's face. She held it up to herself then promptly dispelled of her nightwear and pulled the slender, well fitting dress over her head. Zipping up the side, she surveyed herself. Yep, it was definitely killer on her. It was long enough to still be considered professional and work appropriate, but it was fitted just right and the open back definitely gave it the bang affect that Annie was looking for. Choosing a pair of matching red Prada stilettos, Annie finished the look by pulling her hair back into a French twist. She considered adding some simple jewelry to accessorize but she didn't want to over-due it. Just then, she spotted a simple pendent necklace tucked away in her jewelry box. It was a gift from Auggie; he'd given it to her on her last birthday and surprisingly, he'd managed to pick out her birthstone without much assistance from the jeweler. Annie marveled at her best friend's unlimited ability to adapt to his life being blind. Almost anything that a normal person could do, Auggie seemed to perform ten times better despite his disability. He was so intelligent, witty, skillful, charming… Annie smiled a bit shyly. Auggie's charm went much beyond that of any of the other typical men she'd come in contact with; even Jai's charm and wit couldn't even come close to compare.

Annie glanced her bedside clock once more. Then grabbing up a jacket and her purse, she headed out and next door to her sister Danielle's for breakfast.

When Annie walked in, the girls were already half-way through with their breakfast and Michael was just heading out the door. "Alright girls, be good! Have a good day at school." He kissed each one on the cheek, gave Danielle a kiss goodbye and blew Annie a kiss on his way out the door. She smiled and waved. J

Just then Danielle turned around and spotting Annie just inside the kitchen, she gasped. "Wow! Look at you! That dress looks incredible on you!"

Annie smiled. "Thanks!"

"What's the occasion? You have another dinner to go to tonight?"

"Actually, no. But I woke up this morning feeling pretty good and I thought I'd dress up a little bit."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah… you know I've been thinking… you know it's been almost two years since Ben?"

Danielle paused and looked over at her sister. "Really?"

Annie just nodded. "Yeah and well I went to see Auggie the other day and… well he recently ran into an ex-girlfriend from like two years ago. It really hit him hard…"

"Really?" Danielle looked at her sister Sympathetically. She loved Annie's friend, Auggie. Even though she'd been a little taken aback at first that the guy was blind; but it wasn't long before his boyish charming smile and mannerisms won skeptical Danielle over. She couldn't help but hope that there was something developing between Auggie and her sister; or rather she was hoping that soon something would spark a flame between them. "What happened?"

"Oh well there's not really much to tell but it just kind of hit me, you know? I've been living in the past with Ben for how long?"

"Loooong, time." Danielle dragged out the word for emphasis with an added roll of her eyes.

"Yeah and where has it gotten me; nowhere. And I mean seeing Auggie like he was…I realized it's time to move on. He's not coming back and I mean, he obviously never cared for me in the beginning right? So why waste my time pining for a guy that's…hell not even worth it!" She smiled then, giving her sister an 'oh-please' look.

Danielle beamed at her. "Good for you! I'm so proud of you for sticking up for yourself. I mean, you are a strong, confident, beautiful woman and you definitely deserve to be happy."

"…Thanks, Dani!"

"Yeah, and Ben was hardly a man I mean really? He was nothing more than a boneless coward. You definitely deserve to find a real man in your life."

Annie nodded in emphatic agreement.

"So…. I've got this friend of mine coming for dinner tonight…" Danielle proceeded slowly as she leaned on the counter.

Annie cut her off, turning around to face her. "Ohhh no, Danielle please…not _another _one of your 'old family friends.' Com'on we've been over this…none of the guys you've had me meet before have been even decent."

"Oh but this one's really really nice! He's actually one of Michael's co-workers…and he's really smart. He likes history, archeology, and just so happens to be an expert on Egyptian culture."

"Oh really…" Annie smiled skeptically at her sister. She appreciated Danielle's desire to see her happy but her sister's incessant attempts at hooking her up with guy after guy, never panned out and she was beyond the point of tolerating it. "Look, I really appreciate you trying to help, Honey but really, I'm fine! I mean I'm on my way to being finally done with the whole Ben mess and being able to move on with my life…I'm looking forward to having that control back… I haven't had that for a long time and well… I just would like to take this all slow and be the one to decide when I want to take love on again."

Danielle was silent, her face fell a bit defeated but then she looked at Annie and taking her hand, spoke sincerely. "Ok, ok, I'm fine with that…I mean if that's really what you want then you will be happy even if you don't have someone and that's really all I truly want; you to be happy so…I support you all the way."

Annie looked surprised. "You mean that?"

Danielle nodded. "Yeah… I mean I'll just have to cancel tonight with Hunter which is gonna be a bit tricky with coming up with an excuse but, I'll manage."

Annie smiled, hugging her sister. "Thanks, Dani."

When Annie walked through the doors of DPD headquarters, there were numberless hollers, whistles and cat calls that met her. She blushed but at the same time, felt a new confidence rise within her. She was on her way to being a confident, independent woman again and it felt good to be affirmed as such. She came to the den and as she made her way to her desk, several more of her fellow male co-workers stopped to gawk. Among them was Jai Wilcox, who when he turned in his chair to see Annie walking purposefully to her cubical, let out a low whistle and stood up. "Well, well well!"

Annie smiled. "Morning, Jai."

"And good morning to you too!"

Annie felt a bit self-conscious at his intense scrutiny but she dismissed it and dispelling her purse in the nearby low cupboard, she laid her jacket on the back of her chair.

"So… what's the occasion for the dress, Walker?"

"Just woke up in a really good mood this morning and felt like dressing up a bit."

"Ohhh… get some lovin' last night did you?"

Annie's smile faded and she rolled her eyes at Jai. "god, Jai you are such a pig sometimes you know that?"

He only laughed. "Well I can't really think of any other really good reason to be in that good of a mood when you wake up on a Monday morning, especially."

"Well guess that just means most of us don't need our coddling and pacifying every night just to be in a good mood the next day." Her words were pointed and said in a somewhat smug tone; Jai shifted uncomfortably, and Annie managed to hide a smile.

"Well I'm off."

"What do you mean, you just got here…"

"I'm just heading down the street for coffee, I'll be back." She called over her shoulder.

Annie pushed open the door with her elbow. Carrying a Caramel Latte in one hand and a white chocolate hazel nut cappuccino in the other, she walked down the hall to tech ops. Passing stu's office, she paused momentarily, hollering, "Morning stu!"

"Good morning, greek goddess!" he added a high pitched whistle.

Annie only laughed. Reaching the end of the hall, she caught sight of Auggie through his glass office door. Head phones were over his ears and his deep brown eyes were concentrated as he slid his fingers along his brail keyboard.

Annie smiled. Her heart warmed to see her best friend back in his office and back to his old self. Turning slightly to the side, she managed to slide his office door open with her hip. Once inside she smiled as Auggie's hands paused, hovering over the keyboard and he turned his head in her direction. "I know that Jo Malone perfume anywhere…" he sniffed lightly at the air. "Citrus mixed with grapefruit…Annie."

She marveled with a smile. "Even after a year and a half, I still don't know how you do it, Auggie."

"I've got that special spidey sense, didn't I tell you?"

She snorted softly as she placed one of the coffees in front of him. "One Caramel Latte, fresh and hot, just like you like it."

Auggie beamed. It seemed like such a little thing and quite frankly a Caramel Latte wasn't all that complicated of a coffee but no one ever seemed to know the little things about Auggie; like his favorite coffee. No one except Annie. He'd asked for it once before when she was on her way to the coffee shop and she'd remembered it ever since. He loved how she knew the littlest things about him.

"Thank you, ma'am! I've been hankering for a cup all morning; and with my eyelids persistently slamming shut, I've needed it."

Annie gave Auggie's shoulder and affectionate squeeze, then perched herself on the corner of his desk. He sipped momentarily then placing his cup a safe distance from his keyboard, he turned his chair towards Annie. "So with all the whistling and cat calls I was hearing down the halls, something tells me you're looking quite fetching today, Ms. Walker."

Annie blushed. Looking at Auggie's sightless brown eyes, sparkling with humor and charm, she couldn't help but for once wish that he could see. For some reason, today more than any other day, she'd give anything for Auggie to be able to see her. Whether she'd admit it or not, she knew red was Auggie's favorite color especially on women and she'd picked out the dress with him in mind. "Well, I did spruce up a bit, if that's what you mean." Just then she felt Auggie's hand on her arm. His fingers slid up to her shoulder as he steadied himself and stood. He tugged on her gently and she stood in front of him. Sliding his hand down to her elbow he edged towards his office door and out into the hallway. They walked to the end right where the steps leading down to the den were and without warning Auggie half-way shouted, "If I could have everyone's attention just for a moment. I'm not sure if any of you have noticed but I thought your attention should be drawn to the fact that our Annie Walker looks positively fetching this morning." a chorus of whistles, hollers and cat calls ensued in agreement.

Annie's face flushed a deep shade of red as she elbowed Auggie in the ribs. "August Anderson!" she whispered under he breath. He only beamed his charming smile and added, "There you go again Annie, lighting up a room."

She couldn't keep the smile out of her voice as she scolded him. "I am going to so kill you!"

"Oh no you won't, I'm your handler; you can't live without me." His eyes were teasing.

"I can get another one any day I want."

"Ouch, harsh, Annie… harsh!"

She smacked his shoulder. "Get back in your office you crazy man!"

Auggie's smile broadened and he saluted her. "Yes Ma'am…but it was all worth the scolding to make you blush." He winked at her.

"How do you know I was blushing, crazy?"

"Annie you forget; being blind, the rest of my senses are a lot sharper than most people. And I could sense it in your body language. Plus, I couldn't feel your breath on my face which meant you'd either turned your face the other way or looked down… my bet's on that you looked down and you always do that when you blush."

Annie just looked at her friend, shaking her head in wonder. August Anderson was truly a master of all skills; His senses and reflexes were flawless and he was excellent at picking up on people's moods and behavior. He was nothing short of amazing.

Once back in Auggie's office, Annie perched herself on his desk while he settled down in his chair, taking up his headphones.

"Well if you're so good at knowing everything about me, tell me what color dress I'm wearing."

Auggie paused, turning his face upwards towards her voice. "Well considering you always wear either gray, black, navy blue or beige to work on a regular day, my guess is you went outside of the norm and picked something a bit more edgy…I'ma guess red."

Annie's mouth dropped open. "H…how did you…?"

He shrugged. "I'm just good like that." he winked, flashing her his best charming smile. Annie blushed and ducked her head as her cheeks began flushing red again. "There you go again, Anderson…you are an impossible man."

Auggie could hear the smile in her voice, and turning his chair towards her, he beamed up at her. "Impossibly charming you mean."

Annie rolled her eyes, smiling. Auggie was good; also because he was usually right.

"Well, I should probably get out of here and actually start earning my pay by working." Annie laughed softly, standing up.

Auggie smiled. "Yeah most likely Joan wouldn't appreciate you distracting the head of tech ops from his very important task of code decryption."

"Oh! Like you haven't been doing your fare share of distracting…" she smacked his arm playfully.

Auggie laughed softly, his boyish grin lighting up his brown eyes.

"Alright…" Annie stood up and headed to the door. Before closing it behind her, she turned and looked at Auggie. "You have a wonderful day, Mr. Anderson." She smiled brightly.

Auggie returned her smile with a wide boyish grin. "Thank you, Annie. By the way, just curious; why the red?"

Annie paused and looking down at her dress, she smiled warmly as her eyes met Auggie's dark beautiful brown ones. "Because I know it's your favorite color."

Auggie was stunned. Then his eyes sparkled as a soft smile creased his lips.

"Have a good day, Auggie." she smiled back and then she was gone.

Turning back to his desk, Auggie pulled his headphones on over his ears. His hands poised on the keyboard, he paused, turning his head towards the door. He shook his head in wonder, a charming smile spread across his face; only Annie Walker would wear a certain color dress because it was the blind guy's favorite. "Gotta love that woman." He mused to himself as

he returned to his code decryption, the smile never leaving the sightless dark brown eyes.


	5. Breakdown

Breakdown

Annie couldn't take it anymore. Standing up from her office chair, she stalked out of the den and down the hall to the womens' restroom. Once inside she locked herself in one of the stalls and with her back to the door, the tears she'd held back for almost two hours since the op meeting with Joan, spilled over, smearing her carefully applied mascara. But she didn't care. She couldn't believe this was happening…again.

Just hours before, the DPD had been called into the conference room for a meeting. Joan and Arthur were both present and prefaced that word from a reliable source had alerted them to a new development on one of their ops in South America. Rumor had it that one of their valuable assets had gone rogue and the valuable intel he'd been gathering was now possibly out in the open and up for grabs to the highest bidder.

"This is big time, people." Arthur's authoritative voice echoed through the conference room. "If our enemies find out that one of our assets has gone A wall, all the information that he was gathering will be leaked out and it will end up in the wrong hands. We need to locate and secure the asset as soon as possible. This isn't one of our routine pass drop missions; this guy's rogue, he's undoubtedly working alone and he knows we're coming. We need our best on this one."

"Who's the asset?" Auggie's voice broke the temporary silence.

Arthur looked at him, then at Joan. She nodded and turning to Auggie she replied. "ex-CIA operative, Ben Mercer."

Annie didn't remember anything else from the conference. Hearing Ben's name and that he was involved in a high top security op… and that _he _was the target…she could barely keep her heart rhythm steady or her breathing regular. She blacked out but somehow managed to stay conscious until she heard her name called. "Annie. You've dealt with Ben Mercer before, haven't you?"

Annie's vision was blurry and her head felt dizzy. She turned towards the sound of Arthur's voice but her throat was dry and words wouldn't formulate. Then she felt the distant touch of Auggie's hand on her arm. His soft deep voice sounded close to her ear. "Annie, you ok?"

Clearing her throat, Annie snapped back into full work mode; turning to Arthur she looked him dead in the eyes and answered. "Yes, sir."

Arthur nodded. "Good. Because we need someone he'll trust on the inside. Not only does Ben trust you but we trust you; you're one of our best; we're counting on you to make contact with Ben. Figure out why he's gone rogue and what intel he's in possession of and then convince him that he can trust you and that you two need to work together."

Annie's lips parted in slight shock. "I…sir Ben's been in the CIA longer than I have; he knows better what our methods are…I think he'll see this coming especially since he hasn't seen me in nearly two years. Don't you think it will be rather obvious if an old girlfriend of his just randomly pops up after two years, claiming to be on his side; I think its gonna be a bit difficult to convince him to trust me."

"That's exactly why you're just what we need, Annie. Ben's gonna be watching for a seasoned veteran operative on his tail. Someone who's just as skillful and adept as he is. He won't see a young but no less extremely talented rookie coming…and considering the past you two have…"

Annie looked down.

"…I don't think you'll have any problems with convincing him and winning him over to your side."

Annie's stomach churned; she felt she was gonna be sick.

"Anymore questions."

The room stayed silent.

"Let's get the job done, people…dismissed."

Annie barely heard Joan's dismissal before she was halfway to the door and hurriedly made her way back to her desk. Ten minutes later, she was called to Joan's office.

"Are you sure you're up for this, Annie?"

Annie forced herself to appear confident and she stood erect, squaring her shoulders. "Yes, Ma'am."

"You know…I didn't recommend you for this… Jai actually brought it before Arthur when this first came up…he didn't even bother to run it by me first…of course." She stood up and walked around her desk to stand in front of Annie. She saw a lot of herself in Annie and though she'd be the last to admit it, she felt a strong bond to the younger agent. Seeing her now, practically being fed to the wolves, she couldn't keep the worried look from her eyes. Laying a hand on Annie's shoulder, Joan looked into her eyes. "Are you sure you can to this?"

Despite Annie's fierce attempts at confidence, she knew she wasn't ready for this. She didn't want this op. But what choice did she have. "Yes, Ma'm, I'm ready. I can do this." She answered confidently.

"Alright. You'll finish out your shift for today, then I want you to go home and get some rest. You're gonna need it."

Annie nodded.

"Dismissed."

Annie left Joan's office and walked purposefully to her desk. She sat down, feeling dizzy and lightheaded when Jai walked by and addressed her. "Hey Walker, congratulations on the op! this is a big one and you deserve it."

Annie felt the anger boil up inside her, her face burned and turning in her chair to face him, her words were cool. "Thanks. I was well on my way to being over the bastard and moving on with my life but hey, a trip down memory lane never hurt anyone, right?"

Turning back to her desk without another word, she prepared to address the pile of case files that loomed before her.

Two hours passed and finally, unable to concentrate on her work, she couldn't take it. She knew if she didn't get away fast and somewhere private, she'd lose it.

So here she was, locked away in the womens' restroom stall; staining her sleeve with her mascara saturated tears. She couldn't do this again. How had it come to this. Just then, the sound of the womens' room door opened and without even batting an eye, she knew exactly who the intruder was. And somehow, he was the last person she felt like talking to at this point.

"Hmm…grapfruit. Annie?"

His voice was so soft and gentle, it made Annie go weak in the knees. But she resisted the urge to throw open the stall door and fall into his arms. Annie never liked being vulnerable in front of anyone…but Auggie, he was the last person she ever wanted to see her like this. Just then a light tap on the stall door caught her attention.

"Annie, I know you're in there… please open the door."

Annie shook her head. She couldn't face him; not now, not like this.

"Annie Sweetheart, I know you're hurting right now, would you please just open the door and talk to me?"

That was it. Auggie's voice, so rich, deep gentle and pleading; it had gotten to her and the 'sweetheart' had definitely clinched it for her. Turning, she slowly unlocked the door. It swung inward and there stood Auggie; his brow was etched with worry and his sightless dark brown eyes were filled with sadness and concern.

Annie's heart melted, knowing it was all for her. Although Auggie couldn't see her, his eyes seemed trained directly on her face. He sensed every turn of emotion in her demeanor; the surprise, the confusion, the hurt and the anger…none of it was a mystery to him.

"Hey…" He spoke softly.

Just then, a strangled sob escaped from Annie's lips. Her hand shot up to stifle anymore that threatened as her face crumbled.

Hearing her tortured sob tore at Auggie's heart. Annie was the strongest woman he'd ever known…and yet the most vulnerable. But he'd never seen her fall apart like this before and it really got to him. Dropping his laser cane to the floor he reached out his arms and grabbed her up in the closest tightest hug he could, resting his chin on top of her head.

It was then, Annie completely fell apart. The sobs were no longer withheld; she cried freely, letting out all of her pent up feelings and emotions.

This woman was stronger than any other woman Auggie had ever met before. She was stronger than a lot of men he'd known in his life. Annie possessed not only strength of body and character but she was incredibly independent and confident. It was rare that she lost her head when things got messy. In most cases, where any other normal person would have had a complete nervous breakdown, Annie would merely shrug it off and keep moving forward. Her endurance amazed him. But everyone had their breaking point…and Ben had broken Annie. He cursed that bastard for everything he'd done to her. With all the emotional stress and hurt Annie had been carrying around for nearly two years, it was no surprise or wonder to Auggie that she'd finally lost it. People like Annie could take a lot of beating but once it was too much, the slightest thing could set it off and hence, the emotional breakdown would ensue.

Auggie stood there in the womens' room for an hour and half, holding Annie close. He was content to hold her and let her cry on his shoulder as long as she needed. Annie and Auggie had always been close, but in the last nine months, Auggie had begun to feel a bond with her that went beyond friends. He never said anything because he was scared of losing her if she ever found out and if he did, he didn't see how he'd ever be whole again. So, he was careful to not let his true feelings show too much, he was subtle and discreet. But now as he stood with Annie wrapped in his arms, her head to his chest, he couldn't resist the longing to hold her as close to him as possible. At length, he lead her over to the far wall and the two of them slid down to the floor, not caring about the buildup of mildew from a dozen pairs of shoes that was doubtlessly coating the tile floor. Annie kicked her shoes off and curling her legs under herself, she snuggled up closer to Auggie, resting her head on his chest where she could hear his strong steady heartbeat. The sound soothed her.

Auggie's arms tightened around her as he gently stroked his fingers through her hair. It seemed to soothe her and her cries quieted to only an occasional sniffle.

Just then, Annie's small voice broke into his thoughts. "I don't how I can do this, Auggie."

The defeated terrified tone in her voice cut at Auggie's heart. Unable to resist the urge, he leaned down and pressed his lips to her hair. "I don't want you to do this." He whispered huskily.

Annie raised her head up enough to look into his eyes. Although Auggie was blind, his brown eyes were filled with so much emotion; Annie saw worry, anger…and fear. "Why Auggie?"

Auggie paused then tightening his arms a bit more around her, he turned his head until he was directly facing her and spoke with conviction. "I don't want you anywhere near him. That bastard has done enough damage to you already and I'll be damned if I stand by and let him hurt you again. I'm not gonna sit by and watch him drag you down again, I won't stand for it, Annie." His voice had an edge of harshness and his eyes darkened with a possessive anger.

This was a side of Auggie she wasn't used to at all. In the past, whenever a particularly difficult op had come her way and she felt any doubt as to her performance therein, Auggie's had always been the voice of reason. He'd always convinced her of the importance of the op but more than that, he'd always believed in her, told her that she would be fine and promised to be there with her every step of the way and get her back home safe. But this time was different. Looking into Auggie's eyes she could see as plain as day he didn't want her in this op anymore than she did; he didn't care what was at stake, he didn't want her anywhere near Ben.

"But you know I don't have a choice. I know I don't have a choice. Whatever Ben's doing, whatever he's got, its putting our entire operation here at risk not to mention our security, and I'll be damned if I stand by and let the past be an excuse for him to get away with it. I can stop him and I'm going to…whatever it takes."

Auggie's jaw clenched as he fought to compose himself. Then turning his sightless eyes towards Annie, he moved in until his forehead was touching hers. "Even if…it means losing yourself for good."

Annie could hear the pain in Auggie's voice, she could see in his eyes that he was fighting so hard not to cry. Annie had never seen him cry and the thought of it nearly made her want to die. It was then that something new awoke within her. Something inside Annie clicked and as she looked into Auggie's eyes, she knew then that this was the man she'd been waiting for all her life. From the first moment since they'd met, Auggie had always been there for her. When she was the new rookie, it was Auggie who'd taken her under his wing and made it his personal responsibility that she felt welcome. When she was on an op, it was Auggie's voice that kept her focused and took her through every step. And when she came home, it was always his smiling face waiting for her; he'd always told her he was proud of her. And when things on an operation went bad and Annie was left to make it out on her own, it was Auggie who'd risked his career by disobeying direct orders, going in after her, disregarding any perilous risk it brought to himself. He'd nearly lost his job on more than one occasion because he did everything in his power to keep her safe, no matter what cost or peril to himself. He'd always been there for her and even when everyone else had abandoned her, Auggie never had. And even now, in her moment of weakness, when she'd lost every last ounce of strength and had all but given up, Auggie was there, holding her close to him, comforting him with his soothing words and gentle touches. She knew deep down that this man would always be there no matter what. He'd give his all for her and he'd die protecting her.

Taking his face in her hands she looked directly into his eyes. "I will come back, Auggie. I'm not gonna let Ben get to me again…and I'm not gonna lose myself. Whatever happens, no matter how long I'm gone or how far in I may have to get, I promise that I will do whatever it takes to come back to you, ok?" She wrapped her arms around his neck then and hugged him with a fierceness that surprised even her.

Auggie clung to her for as long as he could, his strong arms wrapped around her so firmly as if he would never let go. He buried his face in her hair and whispering close to her ear, his deep voice trembled. "I'm holding you to that promise, Annie Walker."


End file.
